Chapter 688: Aftermath
The battle continued to rage above us. While Gathrin freed himself from the broken island’s clutches, Jasrin stalked the dragon in a game of cat and mouse. His arrows successfully struck the incorporeal dragon, but lacked the raw power and flashy explosions as before. They seemed more like bee stings, doing little more than enraging the already furious dragon.
After several close calls, Jasrin stopped shooting and focused entirely on evading. It had always been a mystery on how the remnants’ movement worked. They just seemed to drift aimlessly, like a cloud on a breezy day.
If that were so, then right now, Jasrin was a hurricane. He flew around like a hummingbird, flipping and gliding on breezes only he could see. The dragon’s attacks filled regions bigger than castle walls, but they were always a touch behind. No matter how quickly or fiercely it struck, the ranger was a step ahead.
At last, Gathrin emerged from the dense debris field the island had become. He soared toward the monstrous dragon, summoning shield and sword to hand. He wielded his two-handed broadsword effortlessly in one hand. Treating it no differently than a stick.
"About time. Tank this guy already!" Jasrin cried.
The ranger remnant summoned his bow and launched a salvo of arrows at the dragon’s face, pin cushioning its eye. As it roared in fury, he took off in Gathrin’s direction, laughing giddily.
Gathrin unleashed his aura, sending a blast of pressure that caught the dragon off guard. It reacted instinctively, applying its own pressure and unleashing a blast of fire. It lunged after the retreating wall of fire, using it as cover to hide its approach.
Jasrin ducked behind Gathrin, hiding from my view. The armored remnant raised his shield, sword raised behind him. Fire streamed from the dragon’s body as it struck, a ninth-level magical technique channeled into the tip of its claw.
Claw met shield in a fiery explosion so bright it turned eternal night to day. Haven held out his hand, and the distortion in space widened, muting the shockwave a millisecond before it struck us.
Less than a heartbeat later, a second explosion tore through the first, colored gold amidst the orange flames. It filled the space, consuming both the dragon and the remnants. It struck Haven’s ward with enough force to shake the realm. Small, spatial fissures appeared in the air, the dimensional barrier failing to contain the sheer volume of mana.
I squeaked as my ears popped, ringing with the sound of distant thunder. Haven patted my head soothingly.